Jessica Faust stars as a character with the same name, who is giving an interview about her love life. The set-up is that of a television documentary, and Jessica is the subject. The female interviewer behind the camera is never seen. So far, so ordinary, but then the twist emerges that the boyfriend is an Edwardian ghost, visible only to the protagonist herself. She has told men off for their attempts to sit on a chair when her loved one is clearly there; or so she says. The men only see an empty seat.

Jessica’s relationship with her “boo” was strong for some time, but now has become somewhat rocky. In her attempts to explain the situation further, Jessica says the loving hauntings have lost their sting, and the romantic surprises aren’t as sultry as they used to be. Whenever her “boo” takes a physical shape – by hiding in a blanket – the zest has gone. There are puns galore: the “boo” of the title alludes to the American slang term for boyfriend/girlfriend, but also doubles as his gesture, his way of scaring her. This spectre thrives on a nocturnal geography. Naturally, the ghost is never seen to the viewer, but his presence is strongly felt.

My Boo delivers the narrative points – courtship, relationship, resolution – within the allotted time frame of under eight minutes. For the majority of the short, the focus is on the interview, taking place in the character’s domicile. Bright greens prevail, adding a vivid vibrancy and a lightness to what could otherwise become a dark comedy.

What normally makes or breaks a scenario comedy like this is the central performance, and the protagonist presents herself as a physical performer par excellence. All the way through Faust plays up the comedy, acting like a prima donna whenever the scene calls for it, or in bed in one witty aside, disgruntled and far away from her betrothed (physically and mentally). The spectre takes a form in a cloth, as if his body filled it up. The way her eyes widen when she remembers the passionate moments with her ghost (“I remember the day he asked me to be his ghoul-friend“), to the way her whole body shifts when she discusses their current impasse, is delivered with the required precision.

The short work effectively utilises old-school, practical effects. At one time, a blanket emerges at the window, only for it to fall away. I doubt that’s CGI, unless it’s extremely well coated over. To the untrained eye, what the viewer sees is an item disappearing into the ether; in an industry full of computerised effects, this throwback to a simpler time is laudable.

The story ends on a punchline, and while it is not a hilarious one, it gets the thematic undertone across. Röst has a penchant for visual storytelling. These qualities should serve her well in the future, in case she elects to work on a longer project.

My Boo premiered at the Anchorage International Film Festival. A hauntingly jolly work.